Steelheart: Reckoners, Book 1

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father.

a fun and well paced book. a little predictable in spots (the reason for 4 out of 5 stars for story), but excellently written with some nicely hidden twists (good enough to bump the story up from 3 to 4 stars). it's a post-apocalyptic, superhero, action, fantasy story. it sounds kinda silly when it's described like that, but it delivers on all 4 fronts well. the narrator really shines here. he delivers a riveting dramatization while also differentiating all of the characters and slinging the slang in the dialog with believable flair. well worth the credit to purchase and the time to enjoy :D

How the Mind Works

In this delightful, acclaimed bestseller, one of the world’s leading cognitive scientists tackles the workings of the human mind. What makes us rational—and why are we so often irrational? How do we see in three dimensions? What makes us happy, afraid, angry, disgusted, or sexually aroused? Why do we fall in love? And how do we grapple with the imponderables of morality, religion, and consciousness?

a better title for this book would havve been, "What the brain does." if you don't think my suggested title is any different from the actual one, this would be a good book for you. if you think that my title and the actual one are indeed different, then you probably already know all the info in this book.

this is a good book, but it's aimed more at people just begining to explore what's happening inside a persons skull. it's well presented, though a bit long on examples. my only real gripe is that the author tends to make the same point several times before moving on to the next one. but then so did all my teachers in high school. i listened to this book on my android at x1.5 speed which made it much better to listen to. at regular speed the narration is a might slow, but maybe that's just me. well read, just needed to pick up the pace a bit.

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

From the streets of Iraq to the mountaintops of Afghanistan and to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden's compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group - commonly known as SEAL Team Six - has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines. No Easy Day puts listeners alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the 24-man team as they train for the biggest mission of their lives.

this book is totally non-political. nor does it give away any details that could jeapordize other elite special forces individuals. rather it is just as it claims to be, a first hand account of the raid that got osamma, plus a little more. the details given in this book are either personal to the author, giving some background on this individual and where he came from; or are just a fleshing out of some of the more famous and well known ops since 9/11. if you are at all intrested in the subject, or are just a fan of military history, this book is definatly worth your credits.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

In a time long forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons off balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. As the cold returns, sinister forces are massing beyond the protective wall of the kingdom of Winterfell. To the south, the king's powers are failing, with his most trusted advisor mysteriously dead and enemies emerging from the throne's shadow.

i got this book after watching the mini-series. this is basically a political thriller in an epic fantasy (a.k.a - medievil) setting. there is even a smidgen of sci-fi in here if you listen closely for it. the writing is very good. the story is both believable and engrossing. the narrator on the other hand has 4 voices, all of them are over the top varients of british stereotypes. before the mini-series i had passed on this book after listening to the sample. strongly recommend you listen to the sample too. that's as good as the narator gets. after seeing the film adaptation though, i was determined to get through this book. after a few hours i found i had built up a tollerance for the narrator. as for moving on to book two, i really want to continue the story, but i just don't know if i can put up with the narrator for 4 more books.

Furies of Calderon: Codex Alera, Book 1

In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal - 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war.

this story is well written, if a bit un-imaginative. the pacing is good, and some passages are quite compelling. though the end of the book sort of loses track of the timing of events as well as becoming as cliche as possible. the narration is excellent. kate reading can't be beat for fantasy stories.

Shadow Kiss: Vampire Academy, Book 3

Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret . . . .She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush.

the first two books had a little too much angst for me. but i'm a fan of vampires and this series wasn't bad, so i kept going. i'm glad i did. this book starts out in the same vein as the 2 before it, but a little more than half way through the pacing slows and the story really blooms. it becomes very entertaing form then on and the twist at the end is handled very well. the author tellegraphs everything way in advance, but the joy here is seeing just how what you know is coming unfolds. as for the reading, it's not stellar, but it's not bad either. each character gets their own cadence and pattern, though the voices are often very similar. overall, there's lots going on in this book, but you don't need to give it your full attention to follow the story. a great listen for paranormal fans while driving or working on other things.

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

In this irreverent and illuminating audiobook, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, chance, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious causes, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance.

this book is not a straight forward, "this is how randomness rules our lives. point 1, point 2, ect." rather its a detailed explination of the more important points in probablity theory, and a brief history of each. it's up to us to incorperate the knowledge and start seeing the randomness in our daily lives. the material is very easy to follow and understand. but it's up to the listener to take the lessons on offer here and see for themselves, "how randomness rules our lives."

Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss - And the Myths and Realities of Dieting

In this eye-opening audiobook, New York Times science writer Gina Kolata shows that our society's obsession with dieting and weight loss is less about keeping trim and staying healthy than about money, power, trends, and impossible ideals. Rethinking Thin is at once an account of the place of diets in American society and a provocative critique of the weight-loss industry.

this book is about the neruoscience behind our BMI. most people stay within a 20-30 pound range for most of their adult lives without giving it much thought. for others, losing 20-30 pounds wouldn't even be that noticible. to sum up what the author is getting at, i'll give two of my own examples. first) when most people go sightseeing in a major city, they look at the buildings and shops, ect. when they get hungry, they begin focusing on the resturants where they are likey to eat a little too much. but after eating, they generally don't think about food again for hours. for really fat people (like myself), the resturants are what grab our imagination first. even if it's only been a few minutes since the last meal, our minds will focus on the all the tastes that there are to explore. thus even if we do succeed in losing weight, it becomes a 24/7/365 inner struggle not to gain it back. like a recovering alcoholic, the desire to relapse, to go binge, is always there, nagging loudly like a spoiled child. second) at the other end of the spectrum you have people like sylvester stalone. he did a movie once where he had to let himself go. stop working out and gain several pounds of fat. he's said it was one of the hardest things he's ever done. for him, the inner nag kept telling him to go workout. once filming was over, he lost weight and got back in shape with a speed almost everyone would envy. this book is about the emerging science and psycology that is trying to explain why stalone can't help being in shape; and why people like john candy have such a hard time simply losing weight. if i had one book i wish everyone would read, it's this one. it's not offering excuses or permission to be fat. rather it is trying to explain that for many people, changing their bodyweight takes more than willpower.

Elantris

Legendary science fiction author Orson Scott Card calls Brandon Sanderson a writer to watch, and Publishers Weekly says his debut is "outstanding." Once the godlike rulers of the capital of Arelon, the inhabitans of Elantris have been imprisoned within themselves, unable to die after the city's magic failed years ago. But when a new prince falls victim to the curse, he refuses to accept his fate.

somewhat predictable, but most stories are to some extent. the twists added to the standard fantasy formula are what make this book shine. the narration is excelent. my favorite aspect of this book is the way the underlying mystery, which is the linch pin to the whole story, is allowed to grow at such a nice easy pace. supporting several subplots that are sharing center stage with great ease. if you're a fan of the fanasy genre, you will enjoy this book.

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we differ. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings, including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love.

this book is all about dog behaviour, and it covers that subject very well. if you ever wished dogs came with an owners manual, here it is. an interesting side benifit of this book is that once you learn to read dogs better, you also start to notice the same body language in humans. this book makes no attempt to delve into the minds of people beyond their interactions with dogs, but the link is impossible to miss once you know what to look for.

lots of emotional ups and down here also. the narrator does a great job not only delivering the technical lessons, but also delivering dramatical performances in the sections where the author gives dialog to help illustrate a point. an excelent book for drama fans, psychology fans, and dog lovers alike.

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